Vision Scientist

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.

Snap Lab is home to Spectacles — a camera inspired by the human eye, powered by your imagination — and a world-class research & development team that is paving the way for the future of the camera. Snap Lab builds creative technology that helps overlay computing on the world around us.

We're looking for a Vision Scientist to join the Snap Lab team!

What you’ll do:

• Bridge the gap between scientific rigor and the hands-on, practical needs of a commercial product

• Guide optical, graphical, electrical, and product teams to make Snap’s AR products innovative and inspiring

• Design and direct psychophysical experiments pertaining to AR experiences; assess and interpret statistical data from experiments; and draw actionable insights toward display quality metrics, product human factors, and innovative IP opportunities

• Communicate key results and insights to cross-functional product teams

• Manage internal and external (e.g. university collaborations) programs for exploring AR product insights and innovations

• Join a collaborative team of vision scientists, working to define and grow vision science research at Snap, Inc.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of stereoscopic vision, depth perception, and binocular metrics, such as angular resolution, distortion and color aberration

• Knowledge of the spatiotemporal limits of the Human Visual System

• Knowledge of behavioral statistics

• Knowledge of image quality metrics and the image processing pipeline

• Experience with computational modeling and developing algorithms of the human visual system

• Skilled at qualitative and quantitative techniques, such as psychophysics, survey-design, and A/B testing

• Skilled at designing and running experiments from beginning to end - from study design to data analysis and interpretation

• Experience with stimulus generation and experimental programming, using, tools such as Unity, PsychoPy, and Psychtoolbox, and/or intellectual property

• Experience with data analysis and statistical programs, such as JMP, R, Matlab, or Python

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in a related field such as vision science, perception psychology, cognitive psychology, psychophysics, neuropsychology, physics or equivalent years of experience

• 11+ years of relevant industry or academic experience 

• Experience with augmented or virtual reality displays

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven cross-functional product experience 

• Experience with displays and an optical lab environment

• Project management experience (e.g., medium scale vision studies)

• Experience with image processing software, such as Matlab or Python

• Experience with 3D mobile eye tracking systems, eye movements, pupillometry

• Knowledge of color perception and effects on perceived display quality

• Knowledge of visual discomfort related to AR and VR 

• Experience with ophthalmic lenses, vision correction, benchtop optical test hardware, graphical techniques such as foveation

• Experience with visual disorders, special populations, and visual development 

• Willing to travel for data collection, conferences, and on-site visits as needed

The estimated application deadline for this requisition is 30 days, but Snap reviews applications on a rolling basis and may modify this period

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and contact us at [email protected].

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid maternity & paternity leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future.

Zone A (CA, WA, NYC):

The base salary range for this position is $202,000-$303,000 annually.

Zone B:

The base salary range for this position is $192,000-$288,000 annually.

Zone C:

The base salary range for this position is $172,000-$257,000 annually.

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.